Sport Rugby league Chair Tim Fellows Country England | Inaugural season 2005 Number of teams 12 | |
Website midlandsrugbyleague.co.uk | ||
The Midlands Junior League is an age group rugby league competition for club in the English Midlands. It is run by the Midlands Rugby League.
Contents
Many of the teams taking part also run open-age sides in the Rugby League Conference or Midlands Rugby League.
History
The adult Midlands Merit League was founded in late 2005 to support the growth of rugby league in non-heartland areas. The 2007 season saw the introduction of an informal under-15 league Midlands Junior League based on Merit League principles. In 2008 the junior competition featured under-14 and under-16 divisions.
The adult Midlands Merit League later evolved into the Midlands Rugby League and the RL Merit League (for clubs in the North of England).
Midlands clubs voted against clubs outside the Midlands being included for the 2010 season. In 2010 the Under-12s took a tournament based format and Under-11s and Girls Under-12s started on a similar basis.
2011 saw the addition of an Under-18s league and saw the Under-14s take on a tournament based format, with the Under-12s replaced by an Under-13s.
Participating clubs
The following teams will participate in 2012:
Format
Teams play an equal number of games. The top four teams in each age group will contest the semi-finals with first playing fourth and second playing third.
Win: 3 points
Draw: 2 points
Defeat not conceded, fielding 13 players: 1 point
Default on game within three days of fixture: 0 points, with 40-0 score-line awarded to the opposition.
The under-14, under-13 and under-11 boys and under-12 girls competitions take place on a tournament format.